Best products from r/COROLLA

(Reposting from a different thread I replied to previously, plus some modifications with better details)



I have done this on a 2017, which should use a similar system and can be swapped out in the same fashion. There are a few caveats that may sway your decision however.



The radio I bought for my Corolla is the Kenwood DMX-905S, but you can get any radio that has the iDatalink Serial port on the back (should be mentioned specifically in the description on whatever site you buy it from) which brings me to the next point...



I used the iDatalink Maestro RR with the TO2 harness that allowed a very straight-forward installation with no modification to the factory wiring. This module allows your radio to interface with all the OEM functionality that is normally configured with the radio and prevents having to deal with a metric ton of ridiculous wiring. This is not where this story ends, however.



The Maestro and harness kits do not come with the adapters required for factory USB, Aux (sort of), AM/FM radio, GPS, Satellite Radio, or any integration for the factory microphone. This last part is what has pained me the most in this whole thing, as I've yet to install the aftermarket microphone or make the attempts necessary to try to get the factory one working. I've got lots of wiring diagrams, but no free time. There have supposedly been some successful attempts online, but naturally only by someone who was planning to sell adapters for it and essentially abandoned the forum and project entirely without ever releasing ANY details.



I used this Axxess adapter for the factory USB. Fits perfectly, just plug into the radio and the factory connector. Wrap the radio USB end with TESA tape so it doesn't disconnect.



The antenna adapters for GPS and Satellite Radio are available from iDatalink as the ACC-SAT-TO2 kit. They should connect directly to the factory harnesses and then to the new radio, but if they don't work for you this is not required to be a specific iDatalink replacement so you may be able to find another brand that works. I own this kit, but have yet to install it in my Corolla so I can't officially vouch for it.



I ordered the Metra 40-LX11 for the AM/FM radio antenna (I have yet to actually install it so I can't vouch for it 100% but it should be fine). I did do some research after someone else mentioned this in the previous thread and despite the strange image on the Amazon page it does indeed have the radio connector and the blue power wire which is required for it to function.



For auxiliary input, you do get the aux connection as RCAs, but you may need to invest in a female RCA to male 3.5mm adapter depending on what your radio expects for the aux connection. Most likely, you will need the adapter. Don't bother with the one that has red white AND yellow because it's only wired for red and white (audio). Something like this should work fine.



Last but not least, you'll need a dash kit. I'm not certain which one you'll need on the 2015, but don't buy the Metra ones. Hot. Garbage. Just go to https://www.crutchfield.com/ and put in your model/year/etc.



As some general advice, I recommend getting some TESA tape and wrapping all your connections. Please for the love of Cthulhu do not wrap your wires in electrical tape if you value your sanity. TESA tape is fabric tape and is absolutely delightful to use, plus it looks good. Also, invest in plastic panel pry tools so you don't ruin your dash trying to get the radio out. You will likely need a 10mm socket to remove the factory radio.



I hope this is probably more than enough information to get you on the right track. Feel free to PM me if you have questions!



(edited because mobile formatting)

I have these as my "low" beams but in the housings designed for halogens the light gets scattered all over the place and it's awful. For the time being I adjusted them so they point down as much as possible to not blind other drivers but are still effective and I'm looking for new housings that LEDs would be appropriate in such as these.

If you haven't already tried a cheap headlight lens cleaning kit or tutorial vid such as this one then that could make a big difference if yours are just faded/yellowing. Otherwise you can try brighter halogens that can fit with an easy modification. I believe I had put 9012 halogens in by snipping a piece of the plastic at the base of the bulb so that it would fit in the stock housing on my 04 LE.

If you do find something specific that works for you I'm sure a lot of us would appreciate you posting an update here as it would definitely benefit others too. I'm still trying to find a good solution that will work for me since I don't expect to be replacing my trusty Corolla anytime soon.

These are the deflectors I got. There are some cheeper ones on amazon but these had good reviews and I had a 50$ amazon gift card lol. Appreciate the compliment! I’ve tried really hard to make it look classy, but not over do it.

Safe Smoke Window Visor Sun Rain Vent Guard 4 Pcs Set for 2014~2018 Toyota Corolla Out Channel Visor https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KS2CZ71/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_6hchDb9YKNJNF

I've tried:

• Window Suction Cup Mount Thingy
  
  • Pro: great visibility
    
  • Con: Sucks in hot weather
    
  • Disposition: was eventually thrown with great force into the back seat
    
    
• Sticky/Vent Mount Thingy
  
  • Pro: excellent idea
    
  • Pro: great visibility
    
  • Pro: very stable
    
  • Con: sticky thingy fell off after first use
    
  • Con: couldn't get quite right angle for the vent mount
    
  • Disposition: Junk drawer
    
    
• CD Mount Thingy
  
  • Pro: very stable
    
  • Con: Covers up touchscreen/rear view cam
    
  • Con: No CD access
    
  • Disposition: Glove box -- just in case
    
    
• Tray Mount Thingy
  
  • Pro: stays put
    
  • Pro: excellent visibility
    
  • Con: ??? -- maybe limited in where you can put it?
    
  • Disposition: currently in use; seems to be the best solution so far

I have a 2015 LE as well! Got into modding last year. I started with cosmetic modifications and slowly into performance on a budget.

Cosmetic:
- Rubber Front Lip and Sideskirts $12 each side
- Window Visors $42
- Headlight Eyelids $20
- Rear Window Spoiler : $40
- Trunk Spoiler Rubber$15

Electrical:
- LED Foglights $32
- LED Strip Sequential Turn Signals $18
- LED Turn signal switchbacks, requires a resistor and tapping into turn signal wires
- LED Interior Bulbs $6


Performance:
- TRD Exhaust $400 used. Made my car a joy to drive! Other great cheaper options are Borla $350, and J2 $250. I got the TRD for the balanced deep tones and didnt want to be pulled over for 3rd party exhaust ( I live in Cali).
Super budget ebay exhaust is available too! $85 : Sounds decent, join the 11th gen corolla group on facebook to see and hear videos
- Spectre Short Ram Intake $150: Great sound from engine and increased torque
- Megan Racing Rearsway bar $110: If you like hugging corners while turning this does wonders for reducing bodyroll. I have way more confidence on tight turns!

Living in Rochester, I invested in a capacitor type dash cam. This requires power from your car, but the benefit is that it holds up much better to extreme hot and cold temperature versus battery powered dash cams.

Im currently running a low end BlackVue dash cam and its great. It is well worth the $150 for the piece of mind, hides well behind the rear view mirror, and it has parking monitoring.

The more expensive ones have wifi so you dont have to remove the SD card to unload footage, and they sell a two-channel option if you wanna watch your rear too.

If you want to go the dash cam route, i dont recommend cheaping out, especially in LA.


Edit: quick google search. I got a 64Gb version of this.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01HFFQIHG/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1519133772&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=blackvue+dr450&dpPl=1&dpID=31ngYvGsE5L&ref=plSrch


Sorry for the formatting, ignorant and on mobile.

Looks like Metra has the components:

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http://www.metraonline.com/vfgapi/vehicle/314850

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So I would say its totally possible. I myself have a Pioneer AVH 1300 NEX in my 2013 Corolla and love it. Use Apple CarPlay everyday. The unit fits in very seamlessly with the existing dash and looks like it actually came with the car. I used Metra mounting brackets/facets. You can go to Best Buy and ask for a list of parts needed to install the stereo you want and they will print out a itemized list with prices.

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Hella Supertones are pretty popular in the Subaru scene. They’re fairly easy to mount behind the grille in most cars. Personally, I like the sound of the new Sharptones a little bit more. But there’s endless options out there. Just find some tone that you like. Most electronic horns are gonna wire up the same

That one looks good, just ended up ordering this one because I am going to install on Saturday and had Amazon prime. Hopefully it fits nicely. Thank you.
https://www.amazon.com/Auto-Wayfeng%C2%AE-Waterproof-Rearview-Suitable/dp/B01G4LXAEQ

Oh wow! I just got a 2017 Toyota Corolla LE. Deal is final tomorrow. (7 day to test drive it.) She's black/black and I was looking for seat covers. I am getting the ones you have posted. - Amazon (lucky man brand): Amazon Luckyman Seat Cover
those are perfect!

Something that big might be a little much for a Corolla. But I found some links.

https://www.carid.com/2012-toyota-corolla-spoiler/?filter=1&sub-model[BodyTypeName][]=Sedan

That one has a whole list of spoilers that are compatible with that Corolla. You might have to select the body style again. Just go with sedan, since that's what you have. Most of them are the universal one's you see on Honda's all the time, so they don't have the style that you want, but they do have the size.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01D1DUIYA/ref=mp_s_a_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1509503794&sr=1-7&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&vehicle=2012-76-1013------------1-0&dpPl=1&dpID=51lkvlsKLdL&ref=plSrch

This one is a link just to one spoiler. It's a bit bigger and it has some flair on the sides. But it does have a third brake light, the other link I sent you didn't have 3rd brake lights. And it appears to be the TRD spoiler for that year of Corolla.

Good luck on your search.

Well you have a few options,

Free: join a forum like toyotanation and see what they have for repair guides and also be able to ask questions

$15 + a few hours of time: get a 2 day subscription to Toyota’s TechStream and download each page of the factory service manual individually.

$25-ish: you can get one of those Haynes repair manuals

If you want to use OEM stuff, you'll have to buy another radio because they're self contained (part of the radio) on these, like this. You'll also need the antenna and the SD card. The antenna is $300+ also.

Like the other dude said, a smart phone is a better way to go. Look on /r/nocontract and you can find pretty cheap plans for an unlocked phone. I pay less than $20 per month with Mintsim. Google maps is always up to date and can be downloaded before you leave wifi. You don't need data for GPS locating when you're oot and aboot.

In conjunction with a cheap data plan, you could also get a double din aftermarket that supports Android Auto, which uses Google Maps. Or a Pioneer with AppRadio works, but it's a bit of a PITA vs Android Auto. It doesn't allow just any apps, only the handful they deem compatible. This is the one I use. It doesn't use Google Maps, but instead a slightly inferior Waze. Always updated. Android Auto and AppRadio it requires you to plug your phone into the head unit with a USB cable, and you can't connect a USB jump drive for the rest of your music when you're doing that. You can also use these offline. It's a chore sometimes though, tbh.

Here's a little vidya about the AppRadio dohickey, that one's pretty similar to the one I have but faster.

edit: I wouldn't bother with an aftermarket indash nav unit. They're $450+ (vs $250-$300 for a non nav). In my experience, the routing is incredibly inferior to Google Maps or Waze, traffic isn't as accurate. They also don't update easily or for free like Google Maps/Waze. We had a Pioneer Nav unit (I don't recall the model #) a couple years ago, and that thing was awful. One time it took me down the Kilpatrick turnpike in OKC when everything I needed was north of the turnpike - came in on I35, my dest was 7 miles west of I35 and 5 miles north of the turnpike. It wasn't faster and it cost more in tolls. Another time it had me exit 4 or 5 exits early and then snaked me through town to get to my destination. I had a trailer that time and there was a ton of construction on those streets, so that was neat. Another time it had me exit well after my destination (the exit was about a mile past my dest, even though there was an exit just 1/4 mile or so before it).

2014 S+ here, One of the first things I did was upgrade the horn. I didn't find it too difficult to do myself.

Hella Supertone

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If I remember right, connected the power straight to the battery positive and grounded out to the body. When mounting them I used two existing threaded holes with only having to add a second bolt.

Makes a big difference with other cars being able to hear me. I've even seen a couple in cars jump a little when I use it.